Part 39 - Out and about in Santiago

One of the major attractions in Santiago is San Cristóbal hill. It was far too hot to climb, so I hopped on board the funicular railway to get to the top. I don't think I'd ever travelled on one before, so I spent most of the journey wondering how likely it would be to crash 200m down to the bottom of the hill.  

At the top of the hill, you got 360 degree views of Santiago, which seemed to go on for ever in every direction.

There was also a church and a big statue of the Virgin Mary at the top of the hill. I'm not sure who San Cristobal is, but I'm sure his nose is somewhat out of joint not to have a statue on the hill named after him.

The Virgin Mary and what looks like her AK-47 assault rifle

There was also a massive nativity scene

Half way down the hill, there was a bijou zoo. The lion didn't look like he was enjoying life very much but the penguins were having a good time, so I took a photo of them instead. 

Another tour which was a bit of a disappointment was a trip to Cajón del Maipo, a canyon + reservoir about 2 hours drive outside Santiago. Maybe it was the 5am start, or maybe I'd just been spoiled by the far more impressive scenery in Canada, Peru, and Bolivia, but it was all quite underwhelming. Despite being picked up first, I also managed to pick the uncomfiest seat on the minibus - right on top of the wheel. Nice work me. 

A reservoir. And not much else. 

After the reservoir, we were bussed to what looked like an abandoned farm, but turned out to be a place where you could have a picnic. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have a picnic on Mars, then here is your opportunity. 

After this, we were taken to the Casa Chocolate, which spoilers: was actually made out of wood. It was basically just a glorified gift shop but it was pleasant enough.

The final stop of the tour was San José de Maipo, a picturesque wee town not far from Santiago. Sadly, we only had about 20 minutes to look around - far less than at the Chocolate House - probably because the tour operators weren't getting any commission for taking us there! Still, I had time to get a picture of a church with a wonky cross before we headed home. 

To be fair, the tour guide was a really nice chap, he knew his stuff, and his English was excellent - it's just that the tour itself was rather uninspiring. Still, that was all set to change for the next leg of my trip - Patagonia! (the area of Chile/Argentina, not the shop).